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The Government is looking to make Hounslow in St. Elizabeth an agro-industrial zone, boasting up-to-date post harvest plants, as part of the thrust to modernise and transform Jamaican agriculture. Hounslow is perhaps the most fertile area in Jamaica and it has one of the largest irrigation infrastructure in the country of well over 3,000 acres of land.  Already, a packaging...

As the Government seeks to boost meat safety initiatives, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is to model a processing structure for local consumers. Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, says that certified slaughter facilities will be established to cater to the formal meat trade. Dr. Tufton was addressing the official launch of World Veterinary Year, as...

The Coffee Industry Board  (CIB) through the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries successfully secured an emergency loan facility of $310.5 million Jamaican Dollars from the EX-IM Bank and the Development Bank of Jamaica to purchase coffee in the High and Blue Mountains on behalf of the coffee dealers. This loan was secured in a bid to preserve the coffee industry...

All food processing establishments must immediately register with the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) and failure to do so will result in the closure of the unregistered operations. The enforcement of this measure is in keeping with the legal requirement of the BSJ to ensure that goods produced meet the required standards with respect to health, safety and quality.   However,...

Local suppliers of manufactured goods, processed foods, farm produce and various services benefited from a linkages event held at the Riu Hotel, Mammee Bay, St. Ann on Friday February 11. The event, the third of  the kind staged by Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), allowed suppliers to meet with buyers from the accommodation and attractions sub-sectors of tourism, to forge business...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr. Christopher Tufton, says that the Farmers’ Market, conceptualized by the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) to ease the glut in local agricultural produce, has been a huge success. “The farmers are happy, the consumers seem to be happy, they are getting good prices and it augurs well for the concept,” the Minister told reporters...

The St. Mary office of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), has expressed satisfaction at the response to the farmers' market, which was recently held in the parish, as part of the national effort to assist farmers to get rid of the oversupply of certain crops. Held at the Trinity Boxing Plant in Port Maria, the crops available were sweet...

Secretary Manager of the Cocoa Industry Board, Steven Watson, wants more individuals to invest in the product, to ensure its viability and sustainability within the agricultural sector. “The industry needs investments to grow; investment in farms, investment in upgrading fermenting facilities and investment in capturing more of the value chain, locally,” he said. Mr. Watson was speaking at a workshop...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has invited consumers in Kingston and St. Catherine to a Farmers' Market to be held at the Portmore Heart Academy on Friday (February 4). Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, said the farmers' markets are being held as a corrective measure to address the glut in some produce. He added that the...

KINGSTON — Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton says despite the challenges which the agricultural sector faced during the 2009/2010 period, the industry recovered well to demonstrate sustainable growth. “Jamaica's agricultural sector continues to move forward, with a continuation of the steady increases achieved over the last three years,” he said, while delivering the 2009/2010 annual review...

The Papaya Mealybug which was detected in the Caribbean in 1993, has been found in Jamaica. The pest was detected in September of last year and confirmed in October in several residential communities in St. Andrew. These areas are:- Mannings Hill Road, Hughenden, and Constant Spring. It is not yet clear how the pest got into the country. To date,...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries plans to develop a comprehensive programme for effective glut management and response. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, speaking at his Hope Gardens office in Kingston on January 25, said the initiatives are being developed to support the $50 million Glut Management Fund established last year.  “There are initiatives (such as) cold storage and...